Recipe Advice Thread

[denimglen]

Thought it might be handy to have a thread for some of the more advanced brewers to give some advice on recipes.

Let's see how it goes eh...

[denimglen]

"I was put off initially by comments I'd read that you'd never get an extract beer to attenuate properly for a good dry stout."

Yeah, that's a scam that comment. Brew it once and if it doesn't attenuate enough replace a couple points of extract for simple sugar.

[vdog]

Does anyone have a recipe for something like C&B Monk's Habit? I'm keen to have a crack at brewing something like it - so far I figure it's along the lines of:
70% Munich
23% Vienna
7% Crystal (medium)
Styrian goldings at 60, 15, 5
Riwaka at 15, 5, FO
No idea what yeast.
Looking at OG around 1.070, FG 1.020 and I'm guessing about 40IBU.

Any suggestions on the recipe, or where I might be able to get some Riwaka from?

[JoKing]

60 IBU and 1272 yeast.

The rest of your recipe looks good - but if you're using that much munich - I wouldn't bother with Crystal much (if at all) maybe 200g per 20 liters of wort. And make sure you use plenty of hops... like 100g of each per 20 liters late in the boil. And dry hop with those 3 and Amarillo. And boil Amarillo too.

But that's just what I reckon.

[Dale]

Hi Guys,

Would like to do an all grain Vienna Lager and a Bock. Does anyone have an idea on a recipe using NZ hops and not sure on yeast i have WYeast 1084, 2124 & 1056? I really like the one made by Wigram in CHCH.

Thanks

[Alasdair]

Vienna typically = grist of vienna, pilsner, and munich + carafa special for colour. Say 50% vienna, 25% of pils and munich.

For me, the Wigram vienna tastes quite heavy on the munich, rather than the mellow toastiness of vienna malt, so just munich and pilsner (50/50?) might get you close.

NZ hops - Pacifica or NZ Hallertau could work. I've tried both of these in Viennas, and they're adequate but not amazing. I've got one lagering at the moment that was hopped with Motueka. I'm after spice rather than fruit or citrus.

You want an OG/BU ratio of .5 to .6 - say 27 IBUs for a 1050 vienna, and maybe 14 grams of hops at 15 or 10 minutes.

I don't know 2124, but since it's a lager yeast, that's my pick.

[Dale]

Great thanks for the help Alasdair.

[Toot]

Gonna do an NZ Amber Ale and was gonna try Nelson Sauvin for bittering and a late addition/s of NZ Styrian Goldings.

Havnt used either of these hops but like the sound of the descriptors.

Any advice?

[Nick T]

Bohemian Pilsner - I am looking to do a lager brew that my wife might enjoy, - when drinking beer she is a DB export dry/ Macs Gold / sometimes Steinlager Pure sort of a person. She did however enjoy the BrewMoon 'Hophead' IPA to a certian extent, and also a pre-dryhopping tasting of Jokings Yakima Monster, so there is hope of moving her on to better stuff! Have been reading through Jamils/Palmers book and the BohemianPilsner looks like it might be a goer for a semi-quaffing lager for her - any thoughts, alternative suggestions? And the other question is, what (if any) is a reasonable substitution for Czech Saaz? Recipe calls for about 160g of the stuff, and it seems to be in short supply.

[Tony]

Hi Nick,

this is the closest I have come to the style you are after. You could replace the Czech saars with NZ saars, but if you can really afford to, use the original. It really is a unique flavour. Steinlager use Green bullet, in their beer, so you could use that. Most importantly I would use a good liquid yeast. With that, you will achieve a good attenuation and the right flavour characteristics. If I remember, this beer wasn't overly bitter, but more smooth and fuller bodied, than a regular pilsner. I think that was probably my stepped mash. I would also recommend a 2 stage fermentation. Lager the secondary for a few weeks, would really improve the beer, before you bottle or keg it. I know James is a lager freak, so hopefully he will add his 2c worth?


Bohemian Plisner
Brew Type: All Grain Date: 26/05/2009
Style: Bohemian Pilsner Brewer: Tony Culmer
Batch Size: 23.00 L Assistant Brewer:
Boil Volume: 26.33 L Boil Time: 60 min
Brewhouse Efficiency: 72.00 % Equipment: My Equipment
Actual Efficiency: 71.71 %
Taste Rating (50 possible points): 35.0

Ingredients Amount Item Type % or IBU
4.50 kg Pilsner (2 Row) Ger (2.0 SRM) Grain 84.91 %
0.50 kg Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 9.43 %
0.30 kg Carapils (2.0 SRM) Grain 5.66 %
45.00 gm Motueka (B Saaz) [7.00 %] (60 min) Hops 33.0 IBU
25.00 gm Saaz [2.60 %] (30 min) Hops 5.2 IBU
50.00 gm Saaz [2.60 %] (10 min) Hops 4.9 IBU
25.00 gm Saaz [2.60 %] (0 min) Hops -
1 Pkgs Bohemian Lager (Wyeast Labs #2124) Yeast-Lager

Beer Profile Estimated Original Gravity: 1.051 SG (1.044-1.056 SG) Measured Original Gravity: 1.051 SG
Estimated Final Gravity: 1.014 SG (1.013-1.017 SG) Measured Final Gravity: 1.011 SG
Estimated Color: 4.6 SRM (3.5-6.0 SRM) Color [Color]
Bitterness: 43.2 IBU (35.0-45.0 IBU) Alpha Acid Units: 13.4 AAU
Estimated Alcohol by Volume: 4.81 % (4.20-5.40 %) Actual Alcohol by Volume: 5.21 %
Actual Calories: 476 cal/l


Mash Profile Name: Temperature Mash, 2 Step, Full Body Mash Tun Weight: 0.00 kg
Mash Grain Weight: 5.30 kg Mash PH: 5.4 PH
Grain Temperature: 22.2 C Sparge Temperature: 75.6 C
Sparge Water: 17.82 L Adjust Temp for Equipment: FALSE

Name Description Step Temp Step Time
Protein Rest Add 13.82 L of water at 54.0 C 50.0 C 30 min
Saccharification Heat to 70.0 C over 15 min 70.0 C 30 min
Mash Out Heat to 75.6 C over 10 min 75.6 C 10 min


Mash Notes
Two step profile with a protein rest for mashes with unmodified grains or adjuncts. Temperature mash for use when mashing in a brew pot over a heat source such as the stove. Use heat to maintain desired temperature during the mash.
Carbonation and Storage Carbonation Type: Corn Sugar Carbonation Volumes: 2.4 (2.3-2.6 vols)
Estimated Priming Weight: 130.3 gm Temperature at Bottling: 15.6 C
Primer Used: - Age for: 4.0 Weeks
Storage Temperature: 11.1 C

[Nick T]

Hi Tony, thanks for that. I should have mentioned that I am doing extract-based stuff at the moment while I slowly build the AG rig, but I think I can use Beersmith to convert the recipe anyway. I was planning on at least a 4 week laagering period, patience is supposedly a virtue! (I recall James posting somewhere that he normally waits longer than this for his brews). Just wish I had a second temperature controlled fermentation fridge so I could get on with other brews while laagering! If I can find a source of the czech saaz i will grab them based on your advice, the actual cost is not huge its just that DMH is out of them and was limiting supplies to 50g per customer when they did have them.

[Tony]

Hi Nick

cool NP. I didn't realise your were doing extract. Can I suggest a partial mash, using the decoction method? You could decoct the Specialty grains and throw that into a boil with a pale extract? Also for your yeast and hops try Ross here- http://www.craftbrewer.com.au/shop/default.asp?CID=9.

You could also try Mike at Brewers coop, but last I was there, he didn't have any Saaz either. I am not sure where you live, but I just leave my fermenters in a cool spot, in the shade outside. At this time of year it is still not too warm. Don't try and pitch and ferment at too high a temp. I have found it better to pitch at about 17-18 deg. and then bring the temp up slowly, if you need to.

Hope that helps, cheers.

[Nick T]

Hi Tony,

Thanks for that. i will try partial mash, worked OK before with Yakima Monster.

Every time I place an order with Ross I feel that I have to add other things to make it worthwhile for postage - in the past this has meant a 40l urn, a tempmate, 2kg of hops etc etc! I am going broke on the money I am saving on postage.... have my eye on a March pump.... my wife will kill me....I have James' addiction I think!

Any idea where to get a Pilsener Light Malt Extract (as opposed to an 'ordinary' LME?) Nobody seem to list it in NZ.